The Coalition for Affordable Health Coverage (CAHC) today joined with more than 200 leading patient, labor, business and health care organizations to urge Congress not to move forward with a proposal that would impose Medicaid’s rebate structure on the Medicare Part D program, which experts predict would likely reduce access to life-saving medicines and increase out-of-pocket costs for millions of seniors, veterans and disabled Americans.
“Part D has performed well above expectations due largely to the benefits of competition.” the groups wrote in a letter to Senator Patty Murray and Representative Jeb Hensarling, co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. “Since its implementation, Part D has cost taxpayers 41 percent less than originally projected. Beneficiary premiums are 44 percent less than projected, and have been stable from year to year—a degree of restraint unheard of in this era of health cost growth. Most or all of these gains would be at risk under the rebate proposal, with some estimates pegging the premium increase for seniors at 20 to 40 percent. This is a population who can least afford such an increase”
Click here to read the letter.
